It’s just another game. Not a big deal. No emotion. It’s just about going there and winning the game.

As Broncos nose tackle Jamal Williams was calmly working his way through the going-back-to- former-city checklist, Justin Bannan was circling behind him waiting for his chance.

Then, as Williams paused, Bannan unloaded: “Try not to cry.”

And then came the smile from Williams, who quickly finished a sentence with “and then you come here and have to deal with jerks like JB.”

The Broncos believe a victory in San Diego on Monday night would go a long way to resurrecting them from a 3-6 start. Williams’ teammates of the last six months or so also know how important it is for Williams to play well in a place he spent a dozen NFL seasons before being released in March.

Williams was the anchor, the monstrous man in the middle of the Chargers’ 3-4 defense. He was a three-time Pro Bowl selection for the team. But Williams has tried to keep a low profile for much of the week, or at least as low a profile as a 328-pound nose tackle can keep.

“If you get all emotional, you’re not going to play your best game,” Williams said. “You set all that stuff aside until after the game when your family and friends are around. Right now, it has to be all about winning the game.”

Believing Williams had too many football miles on his odometer, the Chargers released him the day before he was set to receive a $1 million bonus this past spring. Williams was coming off of a 2009 season in which he missed 15 games and most of the 16th because of a torn triceps. He was set to turn 34 and plays one of the most high-contact positions on the field.

Just days after being released, he signed a three-year deal with Denver to fill one of the biggest holes in the 3-4 defense brought in by coach Josh McDaniels.

Said Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers of playing against Williams: “It’ll be kind of weird. Obviously six training camps he was right there, a yard away from me, right there. A team captain, a great teammate, a great player.”

The Broncos have carefully tried to manage Williams’ snap count, even removing him from the victory over the Chiefs last Sunday when the margin was more than 30 points. They also have usually given Williams a day off during most practice weeks, routinely on Thursdays when the Broncos do more work on third-down situations.

Williams said he’s about 20 pounds lighter than when he played for the Chargers, a concession to Denver’s altitude.

The family and friends who will show up Monday night could easily reach into the triple digits, Williams said, including 34 students from a San Diego charter school Williams sponsors. It’s a testament to Williams having spent more than a third of his life in the city.

“They’re pumped,” Williams said. “Right after school Monday, they get to go to the game. Business is business, that’s the NFL. I understand that, but I spent 12 years of my life in that city. It was a place that welcomed me with open arms. It will be good to see everybody.

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